Plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016293381-A1
Application number	US-201615000374-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 19, 2016
Priority date	Mar 31, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus includes: a reaction chamber; a stage which is disposed inside the reaction chamber and on which a conveyance carrier is mountable; an electrostatic chuck mechanism including an electrode portion that is disposed inside the stage; a support portion which supports the conveyance carrier between a stage-mounted position on the stage and a transfer position that is distant from the stage upward; and an elevation mechanism which elevates and lowers the support portion relative to the stage. In a case in which the conveyance carrier is mounted on the stage by lowering the support portion, the electrostatic chuck mechanism starts applying a voltage to the electrode portion before contact of an outer circumferential portion of a holding sheet which holds the conveyance carrier to the stage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A plasma processing apparatus for performing plasma processing on a substrate that is held by a conveyance carrier comprising a holding sheet that holds the substrate and a frame that is attached to an outer circumferential portion of the holding sheet, said plasma processing apparatus comprising:
a reaction chamber; a stage which is disposed inside the reaction chamber and on which the conveyance carrier is mountable; an electrostatic chuck mechanism comprising an electrode portion that is disposed inside the stage; a support portion which supports the conveyance carrier between a stage-mounted position on the stage and a transfer position that is distant from the stage upward; and an elevation mechanism which elevates and lowers the support portion relative to the stage, wherein in a case in which the conveyance carrier is mounted on the stage by lowering the support portion, the electrostatic chuck mechanism starts applying a voltage to the electrode portion before contact of the outer circumferential portion of the holding sheet to the stage.

2 . The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the electrostatic chuck mechanism starts applying the voltage to the electrode portion before contact of the holding sheet to the stage.

3 . The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the electrostatic chuck mechanism starts applying the voltage to the electrode portion after contact of the holding sheet to the stage and before contact of the outer circumferential portion of the holding sheet to the stage.

4 . The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the electrostatic chuck mechanism increases an absolute value of the voltage applied to the electrode portion as the support portion is lowered.

5 . A plasma processing method for performing plasma processing on a substrate that is held by a conveyance carrier that is mounted on a stage of the plasma processing apparatus, the conveyance carrier comprising a holding sheet that holds the substrate and a frame that is attached to an outer circumferential portion of the holding sheet, said plasma processing method comprising:
causing a support portion, which is capable of being elevated and lowered relative to the stage, to support the conveyance carrier at a transfer position that is distant from the stage upward; mounting the conveyance carrier to a stage-mounted position on the stage by lowering the support portion; and applying a voltage to an electrode portion, disposed inside the stage, of an electrostatic chuck mechanism before contact of the outer circumferential portion of the holding sheet to the stage.

6 . The plasma processing method according to claim 5 , wherein application of the voltage to the electrode portion is started before contact of the holding sheet to the stage.

7 . The plasma processing method according to claim 5 , wherein application of the voltage to the electrode portion is started after contact of the holding sheet to the stage and before contact of the outer circumferential portion of the holding sheet to the stage.

8 . The plasma processing method according to claim 5 , wherein an absolute value of the voltage applied to the electrode portion is increased as the support portion is lowered.

9 . A plasma processing apparatus for performing plasma processing on a substrate that is held by a conveyance carrier comprising a holding sheet that holds the substrate and a frame that is attached to an outer circumferential portion of the holding sheet, said plasma processing apparatus comprising:
a reaction chamber; a stage which is disposed inside the reaction chamber and on which the conveyance carrier is mountable; an electrostatic chuck mechanism comprising an electrode portion that is disposed inside the stage and comprises a plurality of ring-shaped electrodes arranged concentrically; a support portion which supports the conveyance carrier between a stage-mounted position on the stage and a transfer position that is distant from the stage upward; and an elevation mechanism which elevates and lowers the support portion relative to the stage, wherein in a case in which the conveyance carrier is mounted on the stage by lowering the support portion, the electrostatic chuck mechanism applies voltages to the plurality of ring-shaped electrodes in order from a central side of the ring-shaped electrode toward an outer circumference side.

10 . The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the electrostatic chuck mechanism starts applying a voltage to the central ring-shaped electrode after contact of at least a part of the outer circumferential portion of the holding sheet to the stage.

11 . The plasma processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the electrostatic chuck mechanism starts applying a voltage to the central ring-shaped electrode before contact of the outer circumferential portion of the holding sheet to the stage.

12 . A plasma processing method for performing plasma processing on a substrate that is held by a conveyance carrier that is mounted on a stage of the plasma processing apparatus, the conveyance carrier comprising a holding sheet that holds the substrate and a frame that is attached to an outer circumferential portion of the holding sheet, said plasma processing method comprising:
causing a support portion, which is capable of being elevated and lowered relative to the stage, to support the conveyance carrier at a transfer position that is distant from the stage upward; mounting the conveyance carrier to a stage-mounted position on the stage by lowering the support portion; and applying voltages to an electrode portion, disposed inside the stage, of an electrostatic chuck mechanism, wherein the electrode portion comprises a plurality of ring-shaped electrodes arranged concentrically, and wherein voltages are applied to the plural ring-shaped electrodes in order from a central side of the ring-shaped electrode toward an outer circumference side.

13 . The plasma processing method according to claim 12 , wherein the voltage is applied to the central ring-shaped electrode after contact of at least a part of the outer circumferential portion of the holding sheet to the stage.

14 . The plasma processing method according to claim 12 , wherein the voltage is applied to the central ring-shaped electrode before contact of the outer circumferential portion of the holding sheet to the stage.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Okita Shogo
• Harikai Atsushi
• Matsubara Noriyuki

Classifications

• H10P72/7612

  characterised by lifting arrangements, e.g. lift pins · CPC title

• H10P72/722

  Details of electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• H10P72/70

  for supporting or gripping · CPC title

• H10P72/72

  using electrostatic chucks · CPC title

• H10P72/33 Primary

  into and out of processing chamber · CPC title